Apparatus for burning explosive-gaseous mixtures



Si P'. VAUGHN March 19, 1929. 1,106,987

APPARATUS FOR BURNING EXPLO'SIVE GASEOUS MIXTURES Fied Maron 15, 192s 2 Sheets-Sheet wf W S. P. VAUGHN March 19, 1929.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING EXPLOS IVE GA`SEOUS MIXT URES 2 .Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1926 Patented Mar. 1,9, 1929. l UNITED STATES 1,706,087 PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY P. VAUGHN, OF UNITED STATES NAVY, ACKERMAN, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOB T0 SURFACE COMBUSTION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YpORK.

APPARATUS FOB.` BURNING EXPLOSIVE-GASEOUS MIXTUBES.

Application led March 15, 1926. Serial No. 94,997.

This invention relates to apparatus for burningexplosive gaseous mixtures by which localized and continuous or non-explosive combustion of the mixture is secured. To accomplish such continuous and localized combustion of explosive gaseous mixtures it is necessary to prevent back-flash or backward propagation yof the flame through the advancing mixture toward the source of supply. Back-flash may be prevented by interposing a fiame interrupting screen or passage way between the combustion zone and the source of explosive mixture supply, and maintaining the flame interrupting properties of such screen or assage way. The passage ways formed in the flame interrupting screen for the passage of an explosive mixture to the zone of combustion should be of such cross sectional Vdimensions that the walls thereof will have the property of flame interruption when maintained at a temperature less than the ignition temperature of the explosive mixture burned. F or convenience such flame interrupting passage ways will be referred to als burner ports throughout this specification, which willbe construed as the 'passage ways formed in a burner for the passage of the explosive mixture directly to the zone of combustion. A

It will be understood that by the term, explosive mixture as used herein is meant a mixture of a suitable combustion supporting gas, such as oxygen or air, with combustible matter in a gaseous, vapor, or other finely divided state in proportions .required for complete combustion or such that' the mixture will have the property of self propagation of inflammation. The mixture may be varied according to the desired character of the products of combustion.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a burner or apparatus for burning explosive mixtures in which the heat of combustion is utilized in a most economical manner, and in which back-flashing is prevented by effective means for cooling the burner ports, formed in a flame interru ting screen placed between the zone of com ustion and b the source of explosive mixture supply, to a temperature below the ignition temperature of the explosive mixture.

Another object is to utilize the heat absorbed by the walls of the apparatus forming the burner ports. This is accomplished in apparatus used for heating fluids by using -the fluid to be heated as the agent for absorbmg the heat absorbed by the walls forming the burner ports. By using the fluid to be heated as the medium for cooling the burner ports an automatic and reliable method is provided for determining whether the fluid is being supplied in suicient quantity.' If thefluid is not supplied at a rate suflicient to mamtain the flame interrupting properties of the burner ports a back-flash to the source of explosive gaseous mixture supply will 0ccur, which will warn one that the fluid is not being supplied in sufficient quantity. A A further object is to provide a burner for burning explosive mixtures that may be made 1n many forms, cheap of construction, economical and reliable.

The accompanying drawings show in a diagrammatic way a few illustrative embodiments of the invention,

` ig. 1 is a vertical sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 4, of a burner particularly adaptable to a water heater or steam generator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 3, of a burner adaptable for many uses.

l 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2 cut away in sections to better illustrate the construction. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on line 4-4 of the burner illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a double burner embodying the principles of my invention and adaptable for high rates of combustion.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 7 of another type of burner adaptable for heating iiuids where a very high rate of combustion 1s desired.

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several illustrative arrangements.

The ap aratus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 is suitable or heatin liquids and consists of a cylindrical burner lnody 1 having cut therein annular passage ways or burner ports 2 for the passage of the explosive mixture from the urner to the place where the mixture burns. The burner ports should have such cross sectional dimensions that when the walls thereof are maintained below the ignition temperature of the explosive mixture they will have the property of llame interruption and prevent backward propagation of the flame to the interior of the burner. The flame interrupting property of the burner ports is maintained by withdrawing the heat absorbed by the walls of the burner ports and conducting the heat through heat conducting elements or partitions 4 to a heat absorbing element 3 chambered to receive a circulating liquid that absorbs the heat and maintains the walls of the burner ports at a temperature to prevent back-flash. The heat conducting elements or partitions 4 are formed in thermal contact with the body of the burner forming the burner ports and the walls of the heat absorbing element containing the cooling liquid. The

referred method of construction is to cast the urner -body l, the heat conducting partitions 4 and the heat absorbing element 3 in one piece of metal of high heat'conducting capacity. The heat conducting partitions 4 form passages 5 for the passage of the explosive mixture from t-he explosive mixture chamber 6 tothe burner ports 2. The heat absorbing element or liquid chamber 3 is so formed relative to the burner body that the passages 5 formed by the partitions 4 have a gradually decreasing depth. Such a construction reduces to a minimum the amount o heat conducting metal required to form the heat conducting partitions. The cross sectional area of the entrances to the passages 5 should exceed slightly the total area of the burner ports 2 supplied by the passages.

Either gaseous fuels such as natural gas or coal gas, vaporized fuels such as kerosene, or finely powdered coal, suitably mixed with oxygen or air in proper proportions to form an explosive mixture may be burned. Such a fuel may be supplied as shown through an injecting nozzle 7 under pressure into an injector or mixing tube 8 where it entrains the quantity of air required for combustion. The mixture passes from the injecting tube 8 into a mixture supply chamber 6 thence to the zone of combustion through the passages 5 formed by the heat conducting partitions 4 and the burner ports 2 as indicated by the arrows.

The liquid to be heated is the liquid used to absorb the heat withdrawn from the walls forming the burner ports by the heat conducting partitions. The liquid is supplied to the chamber 3 through a nipple 9 that holds the burner securely attached to the casing forming the mixture supply chamber 6, and passes through an opening in the top of the chamber 3 into a coil or heating element 10 surrounding the burner. In such an arrangement a very high degree of eliiciency may be obtained.

In 2 and 3 a burner of the flat type is illustrated showing the fluid chamber 3 formed in the bottom of the casing directly beneath the burner ports 2 and the heat conducting partitions 4. The heat conducting partitions 4 are in thermal contact with that part of the burner forming the burner ports 2 and the upper wall of the fluid chamber 3 and form passages 5 for the passage of the explosive mixture from the mixture supply chamber 6 to the burner orts 2. The mixture supply chamber 6 is embodied in ,the burner casi-ng at the end of the passages 5 and fuel in a finely divided state is supplied to the mixture supply chamber through an injecting nozzle 7 and an injecting tube 8. An inlet 9 and an outlet 10 are provided inthe iuid chamber 3 so that a circulating fluid may be supplied in sufiicient quantities to absorb the heat conducted by the heat conducting partitions4 from that part of the burner body forming the burner ports 2. I

In Fig. k5 a double burner is illustrated showing the arrangement of the heat conductinr partitions 4, the fluid chamber or heat a sorbing element 3, and the mixture supply chambers 10 and 11 relative to the burner ports 2. The mixture supply chambers 16 and 11 are provided with independent injectors 12 and 13` for supplying the explo- .sive mixture. This arrangement of the burner elements is particularly adaptable for high rates of combustion, and if desired a porous and permeable refractory bed 17 may be placed on the burner so that combustion will takel place in or on the refractory bed-and raise it to a high state of incandescence. It' it is not desired to use a refractory bed a non-oxidizing wire cloth 18 may be placed a slight distance beyond the zone of combustion to be heated by the products of combustion to a state of incandescence.

In Figs. 6 and 7 another form of cylindrical burner is illustrated that is better suited for high rates of combustionthan the cylindrical burner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. That part of the burner body 1 forming the burner ports 2 is spaced from and parallel to the wall forming an inner annular Huid chamber 14 and thermally connected thereto by heat conducting partitions 4 spaced parallel and having suflicient heat conducting capacity to conduct the heat absorbed by the wall forming the burner ports 2 to the walls forming the iuid chamber 14 at a rate suicient to maintain the flame interrupting properties ofthe burner port walls. The heat vconducting partitions 4 (Fig. 7) are spaced and form passages 5 of umform cross sectlonal area that are open at both ends for the passage of an explosive mixture from the sup ly chamber to the burner ports 2. An exp osive mixture sup ly chamber 6 is connected directly with e lower ends of the passages 5 leading to the burner ports and with the upper ends of the passages- 5 by a central passage way 15 formed by the inner wall of the annular fluid chamber 14. By having the explosive gaseous mixture enter both ends of the passages 5 as indicated by the arrows instead of one end as shown in the illustration in Fig. 1, the distance between the wall of the burner forming the burner ports and the annular fluid chamber 14 may be reduced to the extent that the tot-al cross sectional area of both entrances to passages is slightly greater than the total area of the burner ports supplied by the passages. The preferred method of forming the burner ports is to cut closely spaced narrow passage ways in the burner body at right angles to the passages 4 formed by the heat conducting partitions 5. i

While I have shown only a few illustrations embodying the principles of this invention it will be understood that many other forms may be constructed without departing from or exceeding the spirit of my claims.

What I claim is:

l. In. apparatus for burning explosive gaseous mixtures, the combination with a flameinterrupting screen and a mixture-supply chamber, of a plurality of heat-absorbing partitions extending back from the screen toward said chamber the spaces between Said partitions constituting How path for the gaseous mixture from said chamber to said screen, and a cooling-medimm-holding chamber from which said partitions extend whereby heat absorbed by said partitions may be transferred to the cooling medium therein.

2. In apparatus for burning explosive gaseous mixtures, the combination ot' a drumlike cooling-iiuid-holding chamber, a flameinterrupting screen spaced from said chamber, a plurality of heat-absorbing bodies extending from said chamber into thermal contact with said screen whereby heat absorbed by said bodies may be transmitted to the cooling medium, and a mixture supply chamber from which gaseous mixture ows into the space between said cooling chamber and screen.

3. In apparatus for burning explosive gaseous mixtures, the combination of a drumlike flame-interrupting screen, a cooling- Huid-holding chamber disposed within the screen in spaced relation with respect thereto, a plurality of heat-absorbing bodies extending from the cooling chamber into thermal contact with said screen whereby heat absorbed by said bodies may be transferred to the cooling medium, and a mixture-supply chamber in communication with the space between the screen and said chamber.

l 4. In apparatus for burning explosive gaseous mixtures, the combination of a c lindrical dame-interrupting screen, a cylindrical cooling-liuid-holding chamber concentrically arranged within said screen in spaced relation with respect thereto, a plurality of heatabsorbing bodies extending from said chamber into thermal contact with said screen whereby heat absorbed by said bodies may be transmitted to the cooling medium, and a mixture-supply chamber in communication with the space between the screen and said chamber.

5. In apparatus for burning explosive fraseous mixtures, the combination of a cylinlrical flame-interrupting screen, a cylindrical cooling-Huid-holding chamber concentrically arranged within said screen in spaced relation with respect thereto, a plurality of heatabsorbing bodies extending from said chamber into thermal contact with said screen whereby heat absorbed by said bodies may be transmitted to the cooling medium, and a mixture-supply chamber in communication with the space between the screen and said chamber, said cooling-luid-holding chamber having the screen facing side sloping upwardly and outwardly from the mixture supply chamber.

6. In apparatus for burning explosive gaseous mixtures, the combination of a cylindrical flame-interrupting screen, a cylindrical cooling-luid-holding chamber concentrically arranged within said screen in spaced relation with respect thereto, a plurality of heatabsorbing bodies extending from said chamber into thermal contact with said -screen whereby heat absorbed by said bodies may be transmitted to the cooling medium, and a mixture-supply chamber in communication with the space between the screen and said chamber, said cooling-fluid-holding chamber being a vessel of less cross sectional area at its bottom than at its top, its smaller end facing the mixture supply chamber.

SIDNEY P. VAUGHN. 

